Washington, Dec. 26 (ANI): A New York newspaper has been criticized for publishing the names and addresses of local gun owners.

In a piece titled 'The gun owner next door: What you don't know about the weapons in your neighborhood,' the Journal News requested the names and addresses of local residents who are licensed to own handguns under Freedom of Information Law request.

According to the Huffington Post, the paper requested information from Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties.

It was, however, given the names and addresses of those who have a license to own a handgun, but was denied its request for the amount and type of guns they owned.

Putnam County was still working on the request and has not yet released information to the Journal News.

The article includes an interactive map of Westchester and Rockland counties that allows readers to view those who have a license to own handguns around them.

The article also has an editor's note attached to it describing the type of gun the journalist who wrote the article owns.

According to the report, some critics felt the Journal News article put people in danger.

One commenter wrote on the newspaper's website questions it that did it realized that they also made a map for criminals to use to find homes to rob that have no guns in them to protect themselves?

Others worried that the names would expose law enforcement officials.

According to the report, ABC News reached out to the Journal News for a statement.

The paper said that its readers were understandably interested in knowing about guns in their neighborhoods after the tragic school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, the report added. (ANI)

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